Cuban native Osiel Gouneo, although still quite young, is already a celebrity of the international dance scene and is renowned for his jumping power and outstanding technique. Born in 1990 in Matanzas, Cuba, he began his training at the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana in 2005. In 2008 he joined the Cuban National Ballet, where he was appointed a principal dancer in 2011. Afterwards, Gouneo danced with the Norwegian National Ballet for three years. At the beginning of the 2016/17 season, he joined the the Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) as a principal dancer. He has performed on stages such as the Coliseum in London, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Lincoln Center in New York, the Paris Opera, and the National Theatre Japan in Tokyo. Besides his performances with the Bayerisches Staatsballett, Gouneo also guests as a principal dancer with the English National Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, and numerous dance festivals and galas.

Osiel Gouneo, Bavarian State Ballet

Awards:

Gold medal Cuban Grand Prix
Gold medal Beijing International Ballet Competition
Silver medal Varna International Ballet Competition
Best Newcomer on the international dance scene in the annual Positano Awards

Repertoire:

Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (John Cranko, Michael Corder)
The Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty
The Moor in Petrushka
Prince in The Nutcracker
Prince in Swan Lake (Alicia Alonso, Derek Dean)
Prince in Cinderella
Basilio in Don Quixote
Franz in Coppélia
Des Grieux and Lescaut in Manon
Escamillo in Carmen (Liam Scarlett)

Debuts with the Bayerisches Staatsballett:

Albrecht in Giselle (P. Wright/M. Petipa)
Lead Soloist 1st movement in Symphony in C (G. Balanchine)
Solor in La Bayadère (M. Petipa/P. Bart)
Title role in Romeo and Juliet (J. Cranko)
Title role in Spartacus (Y. Grigorovich)
Grand Pas de deux from Don Quijote (M. Petipa)
Philostrat / Puck in A Midsummer Night´s Dream (J. Neumeier)
Basilio in Don Quijote (R. Barra/L. Minkus)
Dancer in Borderlands – Portrait Wayne McGregor (W. McGregor)
Abderakhman in Raymonda (M. Petipa/R. Barra)
1st solo couple in Jewels (Rubies) (G. Balanchine)
Günther in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Gaston Rieux in The Lady of the Camellias (J. Neumeier)
Onegin in Onegin (J. Cranko)

See also:

Gold for Cuban dancer Osiel Gouneo in China, Cuba Headlines
English National Ballet’s *Spectacular* Le Corsaire, The Wonderful World of Dance

Social media:

Instagram @osielgouneo